Accepted Click the green flag and follow along! :) Fullscreen recommended. If you don't want to watch the project, you can also view just my answers to questions below. Credits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3K5bt8NbN0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9z4K5EdXR-c Helvetica Neue Rubik Sound Effect by LIECIO from Pixabay (Pamphlet Opening) Note: images of subway stations and trains are not realistic and do not represent a possible subway route. All subway bullets on the first slide and thumbnail are authentic and created by the MTA (T bullet is for future use in the Second Avenue Subway) except for the H which is not real
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Hi! I’m leahcimto. I have been on scratch for about 8 years. On Scratch, I’m usually found helping in the SDS or Welcoming Committee, and sometimes the forums. Outside of this, I like tinkering in the Scratch editor, coding in other languages and making online tools with them. I feel like a beginner with all of that, so I like searching up and learning how to code. Aside from coding, I like cooking new things and also learning about the NYC subway system! 2. Tell us what Scratch means to you. For example, you could talk about why you value Scratch, how Scratch has impacted your social or academic life, or whatever you would like to share. I joined Scratch in 2016, but was never very active in the community especially until 2020. In 2020, I started helping out on the forums. Since it was during the pandemic, I had nothing to do so I had plenty of time to help! I started on the forums but went on to help all over the website. I loved that Scratch was not only a coding website, but a community. And more importantly, one that I felt like I belonged in. For me, Scratch is the sense of belonging I feel when I interact with others on this website. In addition to that, I value Scratch because it’s where I first started coding, a journey that has changed from Scratch to other languages. I love how with coding I can make whatever I can imagine, and Scratch is what sparked that for me. 3. Share a favorite experience or memory from your time on Scratch. One of my favorite memories from my time on Scratch was April Fools’ Day 2021 on the forums. I loved all the fun jokes everyone put on, and it was also fun to see Scratch Team members participate too! I had a great time hanging out in The Forum Helpers with other people who also liked helping out on the forums making (controlled) chaos for a day. 4. Why do you want to participate in the Youth Advisory Board program? I would like to participate in the Youth Advisory Board because I have been on Scratch for 8 years and have been able to see Scratch change in a few ways since then, but I would love to be part of the change that comes in the future by giving feedback to the Scratch Team and also other listening from other Youth Advisors! I have experience with helping to improving the community on Scratch, an example being the Welcoming Committee. There was a backlog of over 800 projects that needed to be reviewed. Me and the other curators were able to brainstorm and come up with a way to fix this flawed system. Now today, there is almost no wait to be reviewed. Because of my experience with this as an example, I believe that I would be a helpful participant. 5. If you could share one idea with the Scratch Team for improving Scratch, what would it be? This could be a change to something that already exists or an idea for something Scratch could have in the future. I believe that while Scratch at its core is the code editor, its essence lies in its community. So, I would like to suggest one idea for each. First, for the code editor, I would have to suggest continued implementation of new extensions (like maybe a speech recognition one—as the 3.0 beta briefly teased). For the community, I would suggest an event that focuses on bullying. Scratch attracts individuals who are passionate about thigns like coding and art, who unfortunately may face bullying and exclusion. I think an event where people can share their stories and support each other would benefit many Scratchers.
